Renting With Pets: Pet Bonds and Your Rights
🐾 A brand new set of rules
Renting with a pet in New Zealand changed on 1 December 2025. The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024 brought in a clear framework for pets in rental homes, and these rules are now in force. Under the new system a tenant must ask the landlord for consent before keeping a pet, the landlord has to respond within 21 days and can only decline on reasonable grounds, and a landlord may charge a pet bond of up to 2 weeks rent on top of the ordinary bond. In return, tenants are responsible for the cost of any pet-related damage beyond fair wear and tear. Assistance dogs sit outside all of this: they are not treated as pets, so no consent is needed and no pet bond can be charged. This guide explains the current position, the exact figures and timeframes, and what both the consent process and the pet bond mean for you, with worked New Zealand examples. Everything below was checked against Tenancy Services (tenancy.govt.nz), the government agency that administers the Act, on 24 July 2026, so it reflects the rules as they now stand.
What counts as a pet
The rules cover animals kept as pets, such as cats, dogs, rabbits and birds. Two things sit outside the pet rules entirely:
- Disability assist dogs: a certified disability assist dog is not a pet. You do not need consent to keep one, and a landlord cannot charge a pet bond for it or refuse it as they might a pet.
- Existing pets: if you already had a lawful pet at the property when the new rules began on 1 December 2025, you do not have to go back and ask for consent again for that pet.
A disability assist dog, for example a guide dog or a certified mobility dog, is a support the tenant relies on, not a pet. Consent is not required, no pet bond can be charged, and the usual pet grounds for refusal do not apply. If a landlord treats a certified assistance dog as a pet, that is not correct.
What changed on 1 December 2025
| Area | Position from 1 December 2025 |
|---|---|
| Consent | Tenant must request written consent for a new pet |
| Landlord response | Must respond within 21 days; can decline only on reasonable grounds |
| Pet bond | Up to 2 weeks rent, on top of the standard bond |
| Pet damage | Tenant responsible for pet-related damage beyond fair wear and tear |
| Assistance dogs | Not pets: no consent, no pet bond |
✍️ Getting consent to keep a pet
Since 1 December 2025, if you want to start keeping a pet you have to ask your landlord for consent first. The process is designed to give a clear answer within a set time and to stop landlords from saying no without a good reason.
How the request works
- Ask in writing: put your request to the landlord in writing, describing the pet you want to keep. Tenancy Services provides a request form you can use.
- The 21-day clock: the landlord must make a decision and respond within 21 days of your request. If they do not respond in time, they can face a penalty of up to $1,500.
- Reasonable grounds only: a landlord can decline consent only on reasonable grounds. Declining without reasonable grounds can also lead to a penalty of up to $1,500.
- Conditions: a landlord can grant consent subject to reasonable conditions, for example professional flea treatment or carpet cleaning at the end of the tenancy.
Ask for consent before bringing the pet home. Keeping a pet without the consent the rules now require puts you in breach of your tenancy, which the landlord can act on. Getting written consent first protects you and creates a clear record.
Reasonable grounds to decline
A landlord cannot simply say no. They must have a reasonable ground, such as:
- The property is not suitable for the pet, for example it is too small or has no fencing for a dog.
- The pet is likely to cause damage the property would be difficult to repair, or to disturb neighbours.
- There are too many pets for the property already.
- A body corporate rule, cross-lease covenant or local bylaw prohibits the pet.
- The tenant has not met bylaw requirements such as registering, microchipping or desexing the animal.
- The tenant will not agree to reasonable pet consent conditions.
If your request is declined, ask the landlord to set out the reasonable ground in writing. A vague "no pets" answer is not enough on its own. If you think the refusal is not based on a reasonable ground, you can raise it with Tenancy Services or apply to the Tenancy Tribunal.
💰 Pet bonds explained
The pet bond is the headline change from the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024. It lets a landlord hold extra security specifically for a pet, separate from the ordinary bond.
How much and on top of what
- Maximum pet bond: up to 2 weeks rent.
- In addition to the standard bond: the pet bond sits on top of the general bond, which is capped at 4 weeks rent. So a landlord with a pet tenant can hold up to 4 weeks general bond plus 2 weeks pet bond, being 6 weeks rent in total.
- One pet bond per tenancy: only one pet bond can be charged at a time, even if you have consent for more than one pet.
- Lodged with Tenancy Services: like the ordinary bond, the pet bond must be lodged with Tenancy Services, which holds it independently until the tenancy ends.
A pet bond above 2 weeks rent is unlawful, and charging too much can lead to a penalty of up to $3,000. If a landlord asks for, say, a month pet bond, that is over the limit. Check the figure against 2 weeks of your rent before you pay.
When the pet bond comes back
- Pet leaves the property: if the pet is no longer at the property, you can ask for the pet bond to be refunded.
- Getting a new pet: if you later want a different pet, the landlord can ask for consent again and charge a new pet bond at that point.
- End of tenancy: at the end of the tenancy the pet bond is refunded like any bond, less any amount owed for pet-related damage beyond fair wear and tear.
A pet bond is not a charge you lose. It is held by Tenancy Services and comes back to you at the end of the tenancy, or when the pet leaves, unless it is needed to cover pet-related damage. It is separate from any letting fee, which landlords cannot charge tenants at all.
🔧 Pet damage, body corporate rules and existing pets
The other side of the new deal is responsibility. Because tenants gained a clearer right to keep pets, the rules also make tenants clearly responsible for the cost of pet damage.
Who pays for pet damage
For pet-related damage that happens on or after 1 December 2025:
- The tenant is responsible for the cost of pet-related damage that is more than fair wear and tear.
- All tenants named on the tenancy agreement are responsible, even if the pet belonged to only one of them.
- Pet-related damage covers harm that results from keeping the pet, not only direct damage by the animal.
- The pet bond can be applied towards the cost, and if the damage is more than the pet bond, the tenant is liable for the balance.
You are not liable for normal, everyday wear from ordinary use of the property. A worn patch of carpet from years of foot traffic is fair wear and tear. Deep scratches from a dog, or a chewed door frame, are pet-related damage that goes beyond it. The line is between ordinary use and damage caused by keeping the pet.
Body corporate, cross-lease and bylaw rules
Some properties have rules that sit above the tenancy. If you rent an apartment governed by a body corporate, or a home on a cross-lease, the body corporate rules or the cross-lease covenant may restrict or prohibit pets. A landlord can rely on such a rule as a reasonable ground to decline a pet, because the landlord cannot lawfully agree to something the building rules forbid. Local council bylaws, for example limits on the number of dogs or registration requirements, can also come into play.
Before you request consent for a pet in an apartment or cross-lease property, ask whether the body corporate or cross-lease allows pets. If the building rules ban them, the landlord has a reasonable ground to decline, and there may be little you can do about that particular property.
Pets you already had
If you were already keeping a lawful pet at the property before 1 December 2025, you do not need to re-apply for consent for that pet under the new rules. The consent requirement applies to pets you start keeping on or after that date. A landlord could, however, charge a pet bond for a new pet you take on after the rules began.
Related tools
- Pet Bond Calculator works out the maximum pet bond for your weekly rent.
- Tenancy Bond Calculator shows the maximum general bond, so you can see the full amount that can be held.
- Rent Affordability Calculator helps you check the rent, plus bond and pet bond, against your budget.
- Renting vs Buying in New Zealand, related background.
Sources
Every figure, rule and date in this guide was checked on 24 July 2026 against Tenancy Services, the government agency that administers the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and reflects the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024 changes in force from 1 December 2025:
- Charging a pet bond, tenancy.govt.nz/rent-bond-and-bills/bond/charging-a-bond/charging-a-pet-bond/ (up to 2 weeks rent, one per tenancy, lodged with Tenancy Services, penalty up to $3,000 for overcharging).
- Rules about pets and requesting pet consent, tenancy.govt.nz/starting-a-tenancy/rules-about-pets/ (consent required for new pets from 1 December 2025, 21-day response, penalties up to $1,500).
- When landlords can refuse pets, tenancy.govt.nz/starting-a-tenancy/rules-about-pets/when-landlords-can-refuse-pets/ (reasonable grounds, body corporate and bylaw rules).
- Pet-related damage, tenancy.govt.nz/maintenance-and-inspections/damage-and-repairs/pet-related-damage/ (tenant responsible for pet damage beyond fair wear and tear from 1 December 2025).
- New pet laws and Bond Hub launch, tenancy.govt.nz/about-tenancy-services/news/new-pet-rules-in-effect-from-1-december-2025/ (effective date, disability assist dog exemption, existing pets).
🔢 Worked New Zealand examples
These examples use realistic weekly rents to show how the pet rules work in practice from 1 December 2025.
Situation: Jess rents a house for $600 a week and wants to keep a cat. The landlord gives written consent and asks for a pet bond in addition to the ordinary bond.
What can the landlord hold?
Situation: Ben emails his landlord on 1 February 2026 to request consent to keep a small dog, using the Tenancy Services request form. He hears nothing back.
How long does the landlord have?
A missed deadline exposes the landlord to a penalty, but it does not automatically mean you can move the pet in. Follow up in writing, ask for a decision, and if the landlord keeps ignoring the request or declines without a reasonable ground, contact Tenancy Services or apply to the Tenancy Tribunal.
Situation: Aroha rents an apartment for $500 a week and asks to keep a cat. The building is governed by a body corporate whose rules prohibit cats and dogs. Separately, her flatmate relies on a certified guide dog.
What is the outcome?
The right to request a pet does not beat a genuine body corporate or cross-lease ban. A landlord cannot agree to something the building rules forbid, so that ban is a reasonable ground to say no to the cat. The assistance dog is a separate matter and sits outside the pet rules entirely.
Situation: Mia rents for $600 a week and paid a $1,200 pet bond for her dog. At the end of the tenancy the dog has scratched a door and damaged carpet, costing $1,500 to put right, which is beyond fair wear and tear. The damage happened in 2026.
Who pays what?
Because pet damage from 1 December 2025 is the tenant's responsibility, Mia is liable for the full $1,500. The pet bond covers $1,200 of it, and she pays the remaining $300. This is why the extra pet bond exists, and why keeping a pet well and repairing minor issues early is worthwhile.
🎯 Test Your Knowledge
Complete this 10-question quiz to check your understanding of New Zealand's pet rules for renters
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